Reviewed on: April 10,2026
Send Inmate Mail

Can I Use InmateAid Just to Receive Letters From an Inmate?

Can I use Inmate Aid for "receive only" mail? In other words, can send an inmate a handwritten letter and have her write back to me through Inmate Aid? I prefer sending handwritten letters over typewritten letters but am uneasy about using my home return address, so this would be a perfect solution if it's possible. Alternatively, if I sent her one typewritten letter via Inmate Aid (which will come with a return address that she can respond to), can she send all of her letters to me in the future to that address, or is the return address different each time I write her? I am very much interested in the ability to use your site as a virtual address for receiving her mail. It's not that I don't trust my inmate - I don't trust others in her inner circle.

Yes.
Ask The Inmate
Answered by a former federal inmate · 14+ years advising families
✓ Verified answer July 25,2015 · Send Inmate Mail
1

Yes. Many members use InmateAid as a virtual return address for privacy. Your inmate writes back to the same InmateAid address in Florida every time. Letters are received, scanned, uploaded to your account, and you are notified by email. Your home address is never exposed.

If you send even one letter through InmateAid, the return address on the envelope will be InmateAid's corporate address in Florida. That address is fixed and consistent. It does not change from letter to letter. Your inmate can write that address down and use it for every response going forward, whether you send subsequent letters through InmateAid or continue sending handwritten letters from your own mailbox. The return address for her responses will always be the same InmateAid address, regardless of how many times she writes.

When her letters arrive at InmateAid's Florida office they are received by staff, carefully scanned, and uploaded directly into your account. You receive an email notification each time one arrives so you know to check your account. The letters are stored digitally and accessible from any device whenever you want to read them.

The privacy angle you mentioned, not trusting others in her inner circle rather than the inmate herself, is exactly the kind of situation this service was built to address. Your home address never appears anywhere in the process. The only address that circulates inside the facility or among anyone connected to your inmate is InmateAid's address in Florida. That is a meaningful layer of protection that many members rely on for exactly this reason.

Accepted Answer Date Created: July 25,2015
Was this helpful?

My situation is different — ask your own question.

Our advisors answer within 24 hours. Free, always. Former federal and state inmates with direct experience.

About this answer: This response was prepared by InmateAid’s editorial team in consultation with former inmates who have direct experience with the federal correctional system. InmateAid has served families of the incarcerated since 2012. This is general information only — not legal advice. Last reviewed April 2026.